Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Exodus
Book: Exodus
Chapter: 6
Overview:
God renews his promise.
(1-9) Moses and
Aaron again sent to
Pharaoh.
(10-13) The parentage of
Moses and
Aaron.
(14-30)
1-9 We are most likely to prosper in attempts to
Glorify God,
and to be useful to men, when we learn
By experience that we can
do nothing of ourselves; when our whole dependence is placed
On
him, and our only expectation is from him.
Moses had been
expecting what
God would do; but now he shall see what he will
do.
God would now be known
By his name
Jehovah, that is, a
God
performing what he had promised, and finishing his own work.
God
intended their happiness: I will take you to me for a people, a
Peculiar people, and I will be to you a
God. More than this we
need not ask, we cannot have, to make us happy. He intended his
own
Glory: Ye shall know that I am the
Lord. These good words,
and comfortable words, should have revived the drooping
Israelites, and have made them forget their misery; but they
were
So taken up with their troubles, that they did not heed
God's promises.
By indulging discontent and fretfulness, we
deprive ourselves of the comfort we might have, both from
God's
Word and from his
Providence, and go comfortless.
10-13 The
Faith of
Moses was
So feeble that he could scarcely
be kept to his work. Ready obedience is always according to the
strength of our
Faith. Though our weaknesses ought to humble us,
yet they ought not to discourage us from doing our best in any
service we have to do for
God. When
Moses repeats his baffled
arguments, he is argued with
No longer, but
God gives him and
Aaron a charge, both to the children of
Israel, and to
Pharaoh.
God's authority is sufficient to answer all objections, and
binds all to obey, without
Murmuring or disputing, Php 2:14.
14-30 Moses and
Aaron were Israelites; raised up unto them of
their brethren, as
Christ also should be, who was to be the
Prophet and
Priest, the
Redeemer and Lawgiver of the people of
Israel.
Moses returns to his narrative, and repeats the charge
God had given him to deliver his message to
Pharaoh, and his
objection against it. Those who have spoken unadvisedly with
their lips ought to reflect upon it with regret, as
Moses seems
to do here."Uncircumcised," is used in
Scripture to note the
unsuitableness there may be in any thing to answer its proper
purpose; as the
Carnal Heart and depraved nature of fallen
Man
are wholly unsuited to the services of
God, and to the purposes
of his
Glory. It is profitable to place
No confidence in
ourselves, all our sufficiency must be in the
Lord. We never can
trust ourselves too little, or our
God too much. I can do
nothing
By myself, said the
Apostle, but I can do all things
through
Christ which strengtheneth me.